cowling



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT H. DOl/VLING, OF NEWVARK, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF SEVEN-TW'ELFTHS TO CHARLES H. STIMSON AND EDSON B. DENNIS, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,772, dated May 10, 1892. Application filed September 19, 1891- Serial No. 406,211. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. DOWLING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Licking and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap- Io pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front view.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are perspective detail views.

Thisinvention has relation to car-cou plings and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the draw-bar, having a head A, provided with an inward tapering chamber a, and B refers to the coupling hook or knuckle having an axial orpivot pin connection I; with said draw-bar head, its tongue B entering said chamber. The rear flange O of the head A is cut away to form a seat or bearing-recess O for the cylindric, axial, or hub portion 0 D of the knuckle, and in the front wall of the bearing isformed the chamber afor the tongue B. At the top and bottom of the bearingrecess 0 is a concave arc'shoulder 0, parallel each with the otherand receiving corresponding convex are shoulders or bosses d on the cylindrical, axial, or hub portion D of the knuckle. The pin b passes axially through said portion D and through registering apertures in the upper and lower side portions of 4c the flange O. The upper edges 6 of said side portions are rounded or convex and form bearings for the arc recesses e at each side of the hub portion D. At the rear of said bearings e is a stop-shoulder f, which is engaged by a shoulder f on theknuckle for the purpose of limiting the backward or outward movement of the latter. The are bearings e and c are concentric with the axial or pivot pin 1), allowing a free movement of the knuckle and receiving and distributing evenly the shock of concussion. The tongue B of the knuckle is contracted and curved outward and forward, as shown, its rear surface, near the end, having a transverse concavity g and terminating in the transverse projection g, which when the parts come together by coupling or concussion receives the convex forward edge h of the wall of the axial bearing-recess between the sides of the chamber a, said portion 77. serving as a stop and also receiving the shock or concussion. Pulling strain on the axial pin destroys this contact. Behind the stop edge 77. of the draw-bar head is aslot or aperture H, which extends through the wall of the head. This slot is cut on an are concentric with the axial or pivot pin and with the cylindric or hub portion D of the knuckle and receives a curved or. segmental arm or latch-lever K, which works loosely therein. The inner end of this arm or locking-lever K extends into the tongue-chamber a and at such portion is provided with aslot or aperture in, which engages a lug or projection it, formed on the end of the tongue B. The outer edge of this lug or projection is rounded or convex, bearing in the concave end wall of said slot or recess. Said lug or projection is also reduced laterally inward from said rounded edge, in order that the arm or latch may have a lateral pivotal movement thereon. Said arm or latch is reduced both vertically and laterally as itextends outward, so as to permit its vertical play in the slot or aperture II. On its lower edge is an angular shoulder P out therein, so arranged and located that when the knuckle is in coupled position it will engage the outer edge of the lower wall of said slot, thus securely holding the knuckle to its closed or coupled position.

To the outer end of the arm or locking-lever is connected suitable means for releasing said catch to elfect the uncoupling and also for opening and closing the knuckle without going between the cars. This may consist of 9 5 the rod or lever M, connected at one end to an eye or aperture in the outer end of the arm, passing through eye m on the end sill or other convenient point on the car-frame and extending into position to be operated.

To set or lock the knuckle in either coupled or uncoupled position, a set may be provided, which may consist of a pivoted lever N, having a cam N, on which said rod bears. so that by actuating said cam the latch-lever may be held into or out of engagement with the wall of the slot. The inner end of this arm or lever K is flush with the outer surface of the knuckle-tongue, forming a smooth bearing for the forward convex edge of the opposing knuckle.

By means of the slot 0 and the recess 0 the coupling is adapted for connection with a car carrying an ordinary link -coupling. The chamber has a beveled front walla to accommodate the inner end of the piece K.

It will be understood from the above that I do not wish to limit myself to the use of the latch-operating device as above described.

Having described this invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A draW-head having the concave bearing-recess for the axial portion of the knuckle, the concave parallel arc shoulders at the top and bottom of said recess, and the bearing-wall of said recess having a rounded convex shoulder h, in combination with the knuckle having the cylindric axial portion and the convex arc shoulders or bosses thereon, the inner face of the inner end of the tongue of said knuckle having a transverse concavity g, adapted to engage said rounded or convex shoulder'under shock or concussion, said bearing-wall at the rear of said shoulder h having a slotor aperture cut therethrough, and a segmental arm engaging said knuckle-tongue at the rear of the concavity g and extending through said aperture, substantially as specified.

2. The draw-head having the bearing-wall of the knuckle-hub-receiving recess formed at its inner portion, with a rounded convex shoulder projecting forwardly into said recess, in combination with a knuckle having a transverse concavity in the rear face of its tongue adapted to engage said rounded convex shoulder under shock or concussion of coupling, such contact being destroyed under pulling strain, and a segmental arm or lockinglever having a loose connection with a lug on the inner end of said tongue at the rear of said concavity and working in a concave slot or aperture formed in said bearing-Wall at the rear of the convex shoulder, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the drawhead having the curved slot or aperture extending through the rear Wall of the knuckle-tonguereceiving chamber and the curved or segmental arm or locking-lever working in said aperture,of the knuckle having a lug or projection on the inner end of its tongue engaging an aperture in said arm or latch, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the draw-head having a curved slot or aperture extending through the rear wall of the knuckle-tonguereceiving chamber and the segmental arm or latch working in said slot, of the knuckle or coupling-hook having a lug or project on on the inner end of its contracted portion or tongue engaging an aperture in said arm or latch, said latch having a pivotal vertical play on said projection and in the aperture through which it passes, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with the knuckle having a lug or projection on the inner end of 1ts tongue, of the segmental arm or locking-lever having an aperture loosely engaging said lug or projection, said arm having a vertlcal plvotal movement on said lug and in an aperture in the wall of the tongue-receiving chamber of the draw-head, through which aperture said arm extends, said arm or latch also having a shoulder thereon for engagement with the outer edge of the wall of said aperture, substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with the knuckle having a cylindric, axial, or hub portion and a lug or projection on the inner end of its tongue, of a segmental arm or lever of an arc concentric with the axis of said hub portion, said arm or lever having a limited vertical play on said lug or projection and projecting throughan aperture formed in the wall of the t0ngue-receiving chamber of the draw-head, said arm or lever also having a shoulder adapted for engagement with the outer edge of the wall of said aperture when the parts come in coupled position, and means connected with said arm for its operation, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with the draw-head having the rounded or convex portion h and the curved slot or aperture extending through the rear wall of the knuckle-tongue-receiving chamber below said portion 71., of the knuckle having its tongue provided with a transverse concavity adapted to bear against said rounded portion, said tongue also havlng a lug or projection on the inner end thereof, a segmental arm having a pivotal play on said lug or projection at one end and projecting through said aperture, said arm or lever having alocking-shoulder, and means connected to said arm for its operation, substantially as specified.

8. The combination, with the knuckle having the inner end of its tongue provided with a lug or projectiom'of the segmental arm or lever concentric with the axis of said knuckle, the inner end of said arm being flush with the upper surface of the tongue to provide a bearing for the knuckle of the coupling of the opposing car, its outer end projecting through an aperture in the rear wall of the tongue-relocking-lever at the desired adjustment, sub- :0 stantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT H. DOWLING.

Witnesses:

CARRIE E. ORUM, EDSON B. DENNIS. 

